Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Assistant Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I present the explanatory memorandum to the bill and I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Work Health and Safety Amendment (Norfolk Island) Bill will clarify how the Commonwealth Work Health and Safety Act operates in relation to the Australian government's work on Norfolk Island.

The Work Health and Safety Act currently has a small number of exclusions for territories that are self-governing which, at the time it was enacted in 2011, included Norfolk Island. In 2015, self-government on Norfolk Island was removed and the Australian government assumed responsibility for funding and delivering services on the island. The exclusions in the act became obsolete when Norfolk Island had its self-governing status removed.

This bill will make clear that the Work Health and Safety Act applies to Commonwealth activities on Norfolk Island, which will assist the Australian government to meet its work health and safety obligations under the act. This in turn will support the promotion of the health and safety of workers and workplaces on the island.

Leave granted for second reading debate to continue immediately.

See this speech in context